Streaming media is commonly used to deliver television programs, movies and other digital media content over the Internet and other networks. At present, a variety of streaming audio, video and/or other media content is available to consumers from any number of diverse sources. A large amount of video-on-demand (VOD) content, for example, is now available for network streaming from many different sources. Media streams are also used to deliver other types of media content including live and pre-recorded broadcast television, so-called “Internet (or IP) television”, stored media content (e.g., content stored in a remote storage digital video recorder (RSDVR)), placeshifted media content and many others.
As customers watch more and more content that is streamed from an on demand or other remote source, various challenges can arise. In particular, streaming content can consume a large amount of bandwidth, particularly on a satellite, mobile telephone or similar network that has relatively limited bandwidth. As multiple users attempt to stream audio and/or video content over the same network links, the links can easily become stressed, if not overloaded. Multiple users simultaneously viewing a television broadcast, for example, can quickly consume available bandwidth.
It is therefore desirable to efficiently deliver streaming media content from a video-on-demand, RSDVR or other source to various types of remote media devices over limited bandwidth connections. These and other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background section.